# harsh

Pronunciation: US say "HARSH" /hɑɹʃ/; UK/AUS say "HAHSH" /hɑːʃ/

## Adjective

1. Severe or cruel in treatment, judgment, or effect.
   - Simple: Very strict, cruel, or unkind in the way it treats someone.
   - _Critics called the new policy harsh and unforgiving toward low-income families._
   - _The coach was famous for his harsh discipline and brutal training sessions._
2. Unpleasantly rough or grating to the touch, hearing, sight, or other senses.
   - Simple: Rough, sharp, or unpleasant to feel, hear, see, or taste.
   - _The detergent felt harsh against his sensitive skin._
   - _Her voice took on a harsh, grating edge when she was tired._

## Verb

3. To spoil or take the enjoyment out of someone's good mood. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To spoil a good mood or ruin the fun for others.
   - _Try not to harsh the celebration with bad news tonight._
   - _Her constant complaining harshed the relaxed atmosphere at the cabin._
4. To criticize someone or something in a strongly negative way. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To say strong, mean things about someone or something.
   - _Stop harshing every idea I bring to the meeting._
   - _Reviewers were quick to harsh the film for its predictable ending._

## Origin

From Middle English harsk (also harisk(e), hask(e), herris). Its origin is uncertain: some derive it from Old Norse harskr (source of Danish harsk 'rancid', Swedish härsk), while others trace it to Middle Low German harsch 'rough', literally 'hairy', from haer 'hair', going back to Proto-West Germanic *hār.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/harsh (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).